Cauliflower "Steaks" with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce

Fact: I love vegetables. When I go to a restaurant, I usually order something meatless like a portabella mushroom sandwich, a spinach salad, or a broccoli and pepper sandwich. I get carried away buying all kinds of produce at the farmer’s markets. However, as much as I love vegetables, I could never be a vegetarian. Sorry to disappoint, but I blame the bacon.

What carnivores don’t realize is vegetarian meals are not boring. Take these cauliflower steaks for example. After taking a bite, I kept asking myself why don’t I eat cauliflower more often? This recipe intrigued me when I saw it in Bon Appetit’s magazine, and based on comments from Twitter, others are intrigued by it too.

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Portabella Mushroom Pot Pie

Yesterday, Isabel of Family Foodie invited me to join Sunday Supper on Twitter. Sunday Supper is the idea of getting together with the ones you love for dinner. No requirements or rules; whether it's a meal that took all day to make or spaghetti you threw together at the last minute, it's really all about love. Since I live alone with family 2.5 hours away and have nobody to really invite over that will actually show up, my Sunday Supper is loving myself. During the week when I get home from work, I'm tired and don't have a lot of time nor energy for dinner. Usually it's fajitas, pasta, french bread pizza, and some other quick (homemade!) meals. Sunday is the one day of the week where I pretty much stay home all day and cook a really nice meal, so technically, I've been doing Sunday Suppers for awhile!

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Why Blanch Broccoli?

I had someone point out to me that I'm mainly a baking blog. That is true - 75% of my cookbook collection deals with baking and most of the recipes blogged are desserts. However, I do cook often. I usually make the same dishes, which I blogged a long time ago, like chicken strips, chicken or beef curry, garlicky pasta, chicken a la king, thai-inspired beef, lasagna, and wonton soup. Hmmm I also make beef fajitas often, but I apparently I haven't blogged about them yet.

Anyway, my point is that although I can't make any promises, I'm going to try and blog more about my cooking as well as my baking. After all, baking doesn't necessarily mean desserts! Take this quiche for example. Made in a pie crust but no sugar or butter involved! My parents love quiche. I don't because I'm not an egg fan, but even I enjoyed this broccoli quiche. Quiche is a very versatile dinner. You can use broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, sausage, bacon, ham, whatever you have in the fridge.



Fresh or frozen veggies are recommended. You can probably get away with canned mushrooms or asparagus (peas and carrots maybe??) but if you can splurge a little, go for the fresh. If you are using frozen broccoli, thawing is all you need. However, you need to blanch fresh broccoli. Why? It makes them maintain their green color as well as cooks them slightly before baking in the oven. The oven cooks the broccoli, but it alone won't make the broccoli as soft as they should be.

To blanch broccoli, bring water to a boil. Place broccoli florets in the water and cook for 3-5 minutes - don't overcook! Drain and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let broccoli drain for a few minutes before using or pat dry with a towel.

Broccoli and Mushroom Quiche



1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
1 cup milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup fresh broccoli, blanched or frozen broccoli, thawed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Using a little bit of oil or butter, saute garlic, onions, and mushrooms for a few minutes. Turn off heat. Blanch broccoli if needed.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and pepper. In the pie crust, layer broccoli, mushroom mix, and cheese. Pour egg mixture on top and distribute evenly if needed.

3. Bake 40-50 minutes (I needed 60) or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Refrigerate any remaining quiche.

Makes 8 wedges

Source: Pillsbury Breakfasts and Lunches, 1989 p. 64

A New Pasta Sauce

Before I share my recipe, I finished the Facebook fan page of Chocolate Moosey. Here is the link. If that doesn't work, search for Chocolate Moosey.

Sometimes, you just don't know what to do with extra butternut squash. I already made soup. I made wontons with it. I almost made rolls, but I didn't. I was thinking that there are recipes for roasted red pepper sauce. I wonder if there were any roasted butternut squash sauce? Yup, I found a match on Recipe Zaar.

The recipe calls for half-and-half. I had a few tablespoons of heavy cream I needed to use, so I threw that in plus some fat free milk until it was desired consistency. One review suggested using chicken broth instead of water it calls for. I didn't expect this sauce to be as great, but it really exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be making this sauce more often.


Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce




2 lb. butternut squash
2-3 garlic cloves, skin left on
1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
1 cup water or chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried sage or parsley
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds; save for roasting later. If you are having trouble cutting the squash, boil in water for about 10 minutes or until soft enough to cut. Place garlic cloves around squash. Bake for about 40 minutes.

2. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta.

3. Meanwhile, when cool enough to handle, remove skins from garlic cloves. Taking one half of squash, scoop out squash and place in a food processor or blender. You only need one half, so use the other half in another recipe. Chop garlic into big chunks and place in blender/processor. Puree for about a minute. Add cream/milk; puree some more. Add water/broth until desired consistency. You may need to add more or less. Add sage/parsley, salt, and pepper.

4. When pasta is done, pour sauce on top and toss. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Recipe Zaar

A Healthier Way To Make Wontons

Despite what I post, I do make more than just desserts. Today, I decided to make wontons for dinner. Normally, they are fried in oil, but you can bake them and get them just as crispy. There are so many fillings you can put into wontons, savory or sweet. Since I had a butternut squash in the fridge, I made Crispy Butternut Wontons. The recipe came with a spicy tomato sauce, but I used jarred spaghetti sauce. This recipe does take time because you have to bake the squash first. I find that boiling it in water for 5-10 minutes makes it a lot easier to cut in half before baking. Save the seeds so you can roast them later.

These wontons make a great appetizer, or serve with a salad for dinner.


Crispy Butternut Wontons



1 butternut squash
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, fresly ground
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 teaspoon water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
24 wonton wrappers

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Boil squash for 10 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, cut in half. Scoop out seeds; save for later use or discard. Place each half face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool.

2. Scoop out 1 cup of butternut squash; save the rest for another use. Combine with ricotta, parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3. Mix together water and egg. Spoon about 2 tsp of mixture into each wonton. Brush edges of dough with egg mixture. Fold two opposite corners together so it forms a triangle. Repeat with remaining wontons.

4. Place wontons onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Brush tops with remaining egg mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve with tomato sauce.

Makes 24 wontons.

Source: Recipe Zaar

Just As Good As Spaghetti Without The Carbs

My favorite vegetable would probably have to be squash - yellow squash, zucchini, pumpkin, butternut, and spaghetti squash. I'm not so crazy about acorn squash, but it might have been the way I prepared it. Anyway, since I'm in college, I tend to eat a lot of pasta and rice. Although I'm not carb conscious, I do realize eating too much is bad. One solution is to pretend you are eating pasta when really it's just spaghetti squash. I never understood this vegetable until I cooked it for the first time. For some reason, I thought the strands would be too hard to scrape. Honestly, it's probably the easiest thing to do. Much easier than cutting the raw vegetable in half haha

Tip: If you are having difficulty cutting winter squash in half, boil it for three minutes to slightly soften the skin. Your knife and arm will thank you!

Also don't throw away those seeds! You can easily roast them for a tasty snack. If you are skeptical, think pumpkin seeds. After all, pumpkin is a squash.

Spaghetti Squash




Preheat oven to 375F. Cut squash in half. Scrape out seeds; reserve. Place each half cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for about an hour or until tender. Let cool until touchable. Using a fork, scrape out the fibers into thin strands and place in a bowl. Toss with your favorite pasta sauce. I used butter, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese.

Roasted Seeds



Preheat oven to 350F. Separate seeds from any squash remains as best as you can. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Toss with a bit of oil and seasoning (I used garlic salt). Spread the seeds onto a cookie sheet. For every five minutes in the oven, check on seeds and move them around with a spoon to prevent burning. Keep doing this until brown, about 20-30 minutes. Remove and let cool before snacking.

Don't Let The Name Scare You

I love to broaden my food palette by using new ingredients. Whenever I was looking for a beets recipe, I came across beet gnocchi and beet empanadas but didn't have the ingredients at the time. Then when I went back to my local farm for more beets, I decided to make the empanadas and picked up some swiss chard as well. Then I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up some goat cheese. Now, when I explained what I was making to my dad (no way my mom or brother would eat these), he was a tad bit skeptical. He asked me what swiss chard was, was it lettuce, what goat cheese tastes like, etc. So I did some research.

Swiss chard is in the same species as beets, making it a perfect pair with beets themselves. The taste reminds me of spinach (after all, another name for chard is perpetual spinach), so if you are a spinach fan, swiss chard is for you. If you are looking for it in the produce area, it looks like giant leaves with red stalks and "veins" (I am not a botanist).

Now for the goat cheese. I know I've had it in my cooking class in high school, and I didn't remember anything bad about it, but I also couldn't remember what it tasted like. If you are looking for it in the store, your best bet is with the specialty cheeses (not cheese slices or shredded cheese unless that is how your store is set up). Goat cheese is made with goat's milk rather than cow's milk. It is popular in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean areas because goats can survive in areas that cows can't. It is a very creamy cheese. Kinda like cream cheese except with a drier after taste. It is definitely an acquired taste. You either love goat's cheese or you hate it.

I absolutely loved the filling. In fact, I had lots of filling left over and I enjoyed that more than the empanadas themselves (probably because they didn't have much filling in them as opposed to a giant forkful from the skillet). I think the filling would make an excellent salad, just with bigger slices of beets and bigger chunks of swiss chard. I made the dough by hand, but you can also buy it premade at the store. I started making the empanadas using only one circle dough (fill the circle and fold in half), but it was getting late and I wasn't getting much filling into each one. So I decided to use two circles per empanada. Definitely freeze the dough for 15-30 minutes before baking to minimize leakage, especially if your kitchen is warm and your dough is getting soft.

Kudos to Laylita's Recipes for taking beautiful pictures that inspired me to make these empanadas. Next time I'll make my dough circles much bigger like she did.

Swiss Chard, Beet, and Goat Cheese Empanadas



For the recipe, please visit Laylita's Recipes.

Also, how adorable is Murray? This is him laying on a shopping bag after my family and I went to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY for the weekend. You see pictures of the actual museum here.

Polish + Italian = This

One thing I miss being away from home is having pierogies every other Friday. Sure, I could buy a box and make them myself, but it isn't the same because my dad drenches and fries onions in butter until brown. Soooo bad but sooo good!! I usually ask for it every time I come home. That and gyros. When I stumbled upon this recipe from The Cookbook Junkie, I knew it was perfect for my family. I made this recipe during winter break, but I finally got around to posting it. I adjusted the ingredients slightly because I didn't want to add cottage cheese. Although Paula refers to it as a casserole, I see it more as a lasagna. This probably isn't the healthiest meal to make because of the butter, but it would make a great addition for Lent.

I really need to organize my bookmarks, almost as much as I need to organize my cookbooks. lol

Also, my package from Marye arrived today!! I bet the mail room was jealous because of the smell. I'll be posting a review after I try everything, hopefully next week.


Pierogie Lasagna




9 lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles for 10 minutes or until flexible. Do not cook throughly because it will cook more in the oven.

2. Melt 1/4 cup butter. Spread on the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch pan. Place 3 noodles on bottom on pan. Combine cheese and potatoes. Spread 1 1/2 cups on top of noodles. Top with 3 more noodles. Spread remaining potato mixture on top. Cover with remaining 3 noodles.

3. Saute onions in remaining 1/4 cup butter until golden brown. Pour on top of lasagna. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes for easier cutting.

Makes 8-12 servings, depending on size of each piece.

Source: Modified from The Cookbook Junkie

A Way To Start The New Year Right

Ok, so technically this recipe is what I made for Christmas Eve dinner, but I haven't gotten around to posting it yet. And since The Weekend Cookbook Challenge's theme is veggie meals, now is a good time to post. This lasagna was made by me, sorta. I took my mom's meat lasagna recipe and subbed spinach and mushrooms for the meat. Another great dinner for a veggie lover's menu.

Also, I'm doing a search for internships in video production. If anybody can hook me up with somebody this summer, preferably in the Pittsburgh area (although I'm willing to travel if housing is arranged), please send me an email at mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com. The changes of anybody helping me in the food world is very slim, but it's worth a shot. I had an offer, but it'll depend if any films are being made this summer. I haven't heard back from any tv station yet.

Wouldn't it be cool if I could help produce or even edit shows on Food Network? Especially Iron Chef America. It's amazing how many camera angles they can get. I would ask them for an internship, but that means living in NYC for the summer. I wouldn't mind that, but I doubt I could rent an apartment for three months, nor could I afford NYC.


Spinach Mushroom Lasagna




9 lasagna noodles
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz frozen spinach, thawed and patted dry
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
16 oz ricotta cheese
6 slices mozarella cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups spaghetti sauce

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil noodles for 10 minutes or until flexible and somewhat chewable. You don't want to cook them completely. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process.

2. Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in spinach and mushrooms. Add ricotta cheese. Stir until hot.

3. Spread 1/2 cup sauce onto the bottom of 13x9 pan. Place 3 noodles on top. Divide 3 slices of mozarella cheese in half. Place over top the gaps between the noodles. Top with half the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on top. Repeat once.

4. Place remaining 3 noodles on top. Spread rest of the sauce on top. Top with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Cover in foil. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Source: My family

Comfort Food For A Cold Day

I am a meat eater, but I do enjoy the occasional vegetarian meal. I had a can of black beans, so I was looking for a good recipe. I came across this chili recipe, so I gave it a go. I didn't have any carrots or rosemary, so I left those out. I also added shredded cheddar cheese on top. You can even add other types of beans, such as kidney or pinto. Serve this chili with your favorite cornbread recipe.


Vegetarian Black Bean Chili




1/4 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cupo sweet green pepper, chopped
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, saute in oil garlic, onion, mushrooms, jalapeno, and green pepper, stirring often, until softened. Stir in tomatoes, beans, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with grated cheddar cheese.

Source: Recipe Zaar

When It Comes To Dinner, I Am Not Your Average College Student

I think my roommates have accepted that I am not normal. While they are eating mac and cheese or hot dogs, I am making something hearty. "You're making curry again?" "Butternut squash?! EWWW!" I even had the maintenance guy ask me while he was fixing our sink what smelled so good. I bought three winter squash at the store awhile ago when they were on sale - sweet dumpling, acorn, and butternut. This is what I made out of them.


Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash




I bought three random winter squashes on sale because I've never had them before. I love summer squash, so why not winter squash? The first one I tried was a sweet dumpling squash. Very similar to an acorn squash, so if you're having trouble locating a sweet dumpling squash recipe, just substitute it for acorn squash. Now, I must admit this wasn't a scratch meal; I used a box of premade stuffing because I had it and needed to use it. It was an ok meal. I think the squash needed some sort of sauce. If you enjoy squash plain, then this would be a good recipe. The plus side was it smelled good when it was first cut opened. Save the seeds and toast them like you would for pumpkin seeds. After all, they are all part of the squash family.


Stuffed Acorn Squash



Round two of cooking with winter squash. Not my favorite squash either. I think it needed more sauce because the squash itself was plain. The filling was amazing - sweet potatoes mixed with orange juice and ginger. The original recipe is very confusing, so I rewrote it.

1 small acorn or sweet dumpling squash
1/8 cup brown sugar
2/3 tsp orange zest
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 small sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 oz. orange juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp nutmeg
1/16 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and pulp. You can toast the seeds later.

2. Coat the inside of each squash half with 1/8 cup brown sugar, orange zest, and 1/8 tsp ginger. Place in deep pan and fill with enough water so the halves (cut side up) are sitting in water. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, peel and boil the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool until able to handle. Cut into cubes and mash. Add butter, 1/8 cup brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/16 tsp ginger.

4. When squash halves are done, remove from oven. Fill cavities with sweet potato mash; return to oven. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Source: Melissa's (rewritten by me)


Butternut Squash Curry



This is the curry I made when the maintenance man was fixing our sink. He said it smelled good, but I have the worst sense of smell. It can be a gift because that means I don't cry when I cut onions (mwahahaha). It also means if I can smell it, it has a super strong odor, and that can be good (such as baking brownies) or bad (such as chlorine). My one roommate just made a face when I told her it was squash. I'm starting to cook curry a lot now because the ingredients are so versatile.

3 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb. stewing beef, cubed
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 small jalapeno, chopped
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp honey
1 cup cooked white rice

1. In a skillet, brown beef in 2 Tbsp oil. Remove from heat and pat off as much grease as possible.

2. In another skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil and saute onion and garlic until onions are soft and brown. Add cooked beef and tomatoes. Add curry powder, ginger, and jalapeno. Add beef stock and squash. Simmer for 30 min. or until squash is soft.

3. Add in jam and honey. Serve on top of cooked rice.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Butternut Squash Soup



I was hesitant on making this soup because our blender is so loud, but I needed to use up my remaining squash. If you love butternut, you'll love this soup. I left out the milk because I don't like my soups very creamy.

1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 cup milk (optional)

1. Saute onion in butter until tender. Add broth, squash, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in milk, if desired.

Source: Recipe Zaar

A Giant Can of Pumpkin Goes a Long Way

When I was home for fall break, I found a 29 oz. can of pumpkin on sale for $1.50. That's a pretty good bargain for so much pumpkin. For the past two weeks I have been trying all those wonderful pumpkin recipes out there.

Before I get to the recipes, I want to thank Megan for doing the cookbook exchange with me.


Pumpkin Nut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting




As a good friend of made said when eating this cupcake, "I'm going to marry this!" She requested a dozen of these as her Christmas present. Glad to know she's easy to shop for. I got lots of compliments on how I decorated, but the idea wasn't mine. But I guess if they don't see the original post and picture, then they'll never know. All I did was cut the recipe in half and added walnuts. I suggest if you cut the cupcake recipe in half, also cut the frosting recipe in half. I didn't and there is leftover frosting in the freezer.

Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.

2. In a second bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy; beat in eggs. Mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk until the batter is smooth. Add in nuts.

3. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin pan cups. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes. Makes 24 cupcakes.

4. In a bowl, beat on medium speed the cream cheese and butter until creamy. With mixer on low speed, make 1/2 cup additions of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Increase the speed of your mixer between each addition.

Source: Cupcakes: Bake Bake Bake; Frosting: Bake and Destroy


Pumpkin Oatmeal




Another oatmeal recipe, yay! This one is a healthier alternative when you crave pumpkin pie. The first time I made it, I had too much milk. The second time I made, I didn't have enough milk LOL Try to find a happy medium between 3/4 cup and 1/2 cup (for one bowl's worth).

1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup canned pumpkin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon ginger
1/8 cup brown sugar

Microwave oats and milk for 2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sugar until blended.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce



Another "what the hell are you making?!" recipe. That's what my one roommate said with disgust when I was in the kitchen. I was being daring and decided to eat pumpkin for dinner. Don't let the pumpkin fool you because this sauce was great! I used cream cheese instead of heavy cream and left out the red bell pepper because I didn't have any.

1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup water
2 oz. cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup uncooked pasta

1. In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until softened. Stir in pumpkin, broth, water, cream cheese, and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

2. While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until done.

3. Add pasta to sauce and cook over moderate heat, stirring and thinning with reserved water if needed, until pasta is well coated.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Pumpkin Pudding



It tastes better than it looks, I swear!! It tastes just like pumpkin pie without the pie crust. I really wished I had Cool Whip when I was eating it. I didn't make as much as the recipe called for because I had a small box of pudding and 5 oz. evaporated milk, so I used 1 cup pumpkin. If my picture doesn't make you crave it, check out the picture on Nestle's website.

1 pkg (5 1/10 oz) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 can (12 fl. oz) evaporated milk
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Whipped topping (optional)

Beat pudding mix and milk according to package directions in large bowl. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; mix well. Spoon into dessert dishes. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

Source: Nestle's Very Best Baking.


Pumpkin Raisin Muffins




Since I didn't have much pumpkin left, my choices were pumpkin muffins or pumpkin bread. Muffins are easier to share, plus I had Halloween paper liners I needed to use. I was debating on using white chocolate chips and raisins, and since I don't eat as healthy as I should, I went with raisins. I cut the recipe in half and used all-purpose flour entirely.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper cups.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.

Source: Nestle's Very Best Baking

The End of Zucchini Season

As we progress into the autumn weather, we are coming to the end of summer squash season. This saddens me because I never realized how much I love zucchini. I bought some zucchini and yellow squash at my home town's farmer market when I was home for fall break. I'm just getting around to posting about them now.

I've never made homemade soup before. Ever. Sure, I help my parents make homemade chicken noodle soup, but they did most of the work. I always see pictures and recipes of delicious soup, but I never had a reason to make them. I used to eat ramen noodle all the time, even in the summer. I knew they were high in sodium, but I didn't care. Then for whatever reason when I was studying abroad in Ireland, I became more health-conscious. I never had to worry about buying groceries or cooking for myself. I had the dining halls on campus. Although buying canned soup and ramen noodles are cheaper and more convenient, I think spending the extra money on produce and making fresh soup is worth the health benefits. Plus I know what goes into my soup versus whatever the manufactuer puts in. I'm glad my family never uses our blender because I took it with me to my apartment. So far, I've used it twice and I don't think my roommates have touched it. I hate using it because it's so loud LOL I don't know what encouraged me to make this soup. I think it was because I was searching for zucchini recipes on Recipe Zaar and I came across Zuke Soup. I am not a huge fan of super creamy stuff (which is probably why I don't use milk in my coffee, just sugar), so I thought it tasted better before I added the milk (yes I taste test as I go along). Other than that, I thought it was amazing. I didn't realize until afterwards I was supposed to peel the zucchini haha I apologize for the low quality picture, but I was eating leftovers the next day when I realized I didn't take a picture. It was just that good.


Zuke Soup




I didn't change anything except made it into two servings. I would advise tasting before adding the milk to see if you should add it. Recipe from Recipe Zaar.


Zucchini Curry




I just want to show off one my favorite cookbooks. Ever. I think it's because I absolutely adore squash, and this book dedicates 140 pages to it. I wanted a dinner using my summer squashes. Since I bought curry powder, I decided to make zucchini curry. I added in carrots, yellow pepper, and broccoli. You can use my chicken curry recipe and sub in the vegetables and vegetable broth.

I found a copy of the cookbook on Ebay. It's called "Garden Way's Zucchini Cookbook and Other Squash" by Nancy C. Ralston and Marynor Jordan.

Since the end of summer squash for the year is near, I bought some winter squash. I bought a butternut, an acorn, and a sweet dumpling squash. I'll keep you updated with that.

What I've Been Up To This Semester

Taking 17 hours of classes plus 12 hours of work gives me limited time to update my blog (although I do work in a computer lab, so when I'm not busy I surf the web. Yay food blogs!) However, that didn't stop me from cooking and baking. I'm going to put it all in one post so I can be caught up.


Chicken Curry




Only once in my life have I had curry, and it wasn't even from a restaurant. While in Ireland, I bought a jar of curry sauce because it was on sale. I mixed it with rice and tuna, and it was absolutely delicious! When I came home, I wanted to buy curry powder, but it isn't the cheapest spice around, so I waited. When I was grocery shopping for college, I decided to give in and buy a jar. I found a recipe for chicken curry online awhile back and saved it into an online recipe box. That makes this dish #3 towards my goal.

1/4 cup flour
2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Chicken breast
1/4 cup onion
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup white rice, cooked
Veggies, such as carrots or peas

If time permitting, bake chicken at 375F for 35 minutes. Otherwise, chop and fry in skillet. In a bowl, mix flour, curry, ginger, and sugar. Sauté onions in butter until tender. Once tender, add flour mixture. Slowly add broth and milk. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add lemon juice, chopped chicken, and veggies; cook a few more minutes. Serve on top of hot rice. Makes 2 servings.

Source: Recipe Zaar


Garlicky Pasta with Basil and Tomatoes




I found this recipe from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen and knew I had to try it!! I'm 50% Italian, so of course the more garlic, the better. I used canned tomatoes and vegetable oil since I'm on a budget. This is a must for garlic lovers.

8 oz uncooked pasta
3 tablespoons oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, seasoning, and cheese, tossing gently to combine.

Source: Laura Rebecca's Kitchen


Carrot Spice Muffins




During the summer, I borrowed Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home To Yours" from my library after hearing so many posts about the book. I was making a list of recipes to try, but that turned out to be 3/4 of the book!! I had a 3 week limit on it, so I copied about 10 recipes. Last weekend, my parents visited me for the afternoon. I decided to make them French toast and Dorie's carrot spice muffins. Mmmm one of my favorite muffins!! Plus I love carrots. I didn't have any nuts or raisins, so I omitted them. I did have the coconut it called for, so yay.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1/3 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray or line a 12-cup muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Stir in brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet into the dry and quickly stir to blend. Add carrots, coconut, raisins, and nuts. Divide evenly among the pan. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins

Source: Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home To Yours" p.14


Zucchini Casserole




Since my favorite vegetable is squash, I bought 4 of them to eat. One of the 12 cookbooks I got was dedicated completely to zucchini. I decided to make the zucchini casserole. My version is slightly different, so here is my adaptation.

1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (I used canned but fresh works too)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Enough beef for two servings
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Chop and cook beef until brown; drain grease and set aside. In a small casserole dish, put a layer of zucchini slices. Top with 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup onions, 1/2 clove garlic, 1/4 cup cheese, and 1/2 the amount of beef. Top with squash slices. Top with remaining tomatoes, onions, garlic, cheese, and beef. Top with any remaining squash and zucchini slices. Top with bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until squash slices are tender. Makes 2 servings

Source: "Garden Way's Zucchini Cookbook" 1977, p.104



I also made stuffed squash with oriental stuffing and stuffed pepper with a garlic alfredo rice mixture, but I forgot to take pictures of them! Oops!

Now that I am all caught up, what was the last homemade meal you made for dinner?

A Good Way To Eat Your Greens

In order to spark more interest in the LJ community, Arty Chokes is holding a recipe contest. What you need to do is prepare and submit a vegetarian recipe using mainly greens. I knew I had jumbo shells, frozen broccoli, and a block of cheese in the house. What does that get me? Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells!!! Probably not my best recipe because it was dry due to the cheese. Plus I'm not a huge cheese fan. Also, don't always trust the first recipe you get online. I got a cheese sauce recipe from Recipe Zaar where you add the cheese first then the other ingredients. Big no-no. Luckily, I had milk and a giant chunk of melted cheese in the pan, so I used a colander and poured the milk into another saucepan. Then I googled and found several recipes with the same steps. Here you added the cheese last. That Recipe Zaar person got a bad review on her/his recipe.


Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells




12 jumbo shells
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
8 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 tsp garlic, minced
Desirable spices, such as black pepper, chili powder, etc.
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1. Boil water for shells; cook for 10 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. The cold water will keep them from cooking further. This is important because you will be baking the shells later.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour; stir. Gradually add milk. Add a few cubes of cheese at a time until fully melted. Stir in broccoli, garlic, and spices. Remove from heat.

3. Assemble shells in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Fill each shell with cheese mixture. If you have any leftover cheese mixture, fill the gaps between the shells. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on each shell.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

*If you want your broccoli to be soft, cook for a few minutes before stirring into the cheese sauce. Otherwise, they will be hot and crunchy in the shells (the way I like it).

You can also add various veggies to the broccoli - red pepper, carrots, zucchini, etc.

Source: Me! (Cheese sauce - don't remember)

I Did It Again...

I bought zucchinis from a farmer yesterday, so I decided today after an early work shift (9:15 - 3), I would cook dinner. This recipe was very easy to make. I adjusted all of the ingredients, so I guess you can say I made up another recipe. My dad put leftover cucumber sauce on top, and it tasted great. This makes an excellent dinner for vegetarians or for those who just don't want to eat meat.


Stuffed Zucchini




3 zucchinis
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dillweed
1 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Cook zucchini in boiling water for 3 minutes; drain. This will soften the zucchinis so it'll be easy to cut and scoop. Once they are cool enough to touch, cut each one in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds; discard seeds. Place zucchini boats into 2 13x9 pans (cookie sheets would work too). Preheat oven to 350F

2. Toss together mushrooms, tomatoes, and olives. Place evenly into each boat.

3. Melt butter in microwave. Add garlic and sesame seeds. Spoon evenly on top of each boat. Bake for 35 minutes. Zucchini should fall easily off a fork.

4. While the boats are baking, combine yogurt, cucumbers, garlic powder, dillweed, and lemon juice. Let chill. Serve on top of warm zucchini boats.

Source: Me, but recipe idea came from "Favorite Italian Brand Name Recipes" 1983 p.53

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 18

What do you do when you can't find the recipe you're looking for? Make it up. That's right. I made my own recipe!! I had 1 lemon that I needed to use up. When my dad was going through the cupboard above the stove, he pointed out that I had jumbo shells I needed to use (they were up there probably at least a year). What does lemon juice + shells equal? Greek stuffed shells, of course. I googled for recipes, but I got nothing. So I took the typical Greek ingredients and replaced the Italian ingredients with these. I also decided to enter this into the Weekend Cookbook Challenge 18 - Red and White due to the tomatoes and cucumber sauce.

EDIT - Round up is now posted.


Greek Stuffed Shells




12 jumbo shells
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dillweed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 egg, beaten
5 black olives, chopped

1. Boil water. Cook shells for 10 minutes. Drain; run under cold water to stop any further cooking.

2. For the sauce, combine yogurt, cucumbers, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dillweed, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator.

3. Combine cheese, 1/2 tsp dill, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, tomatoes, egg, and olives.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread the bottom of 13x9 pan with some of the sauce. Place shells on top. Stuff with the cheese mixture. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

Source: Sauce from Recipe Zaar, Shell recipe by me


Nectarine Crisp




I also made dessert. This has nothing to do with Greek cuisine but still delicious nonetheless. I used this recipe from Recipe Zaar. I left out the blueberries and wheat germ. Next time, I will try it with raspberries.

Special Guest

Welcome Emer to the wonderful world of recipes! We are obsessed with hash browns so of course she would come up with this dinner.


Tater Noodles




2 cups pasta
3 large hash browns
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1/4 tsp garlic powder

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, cook hash browns until done.

2. Drain pasta and place back into pot. Add sauce to pasta. Mix well.

3. Chop hash browns into 1 inch pieces and add to pot. Add garlic powder. Stir and continue to heat for 3 minutes. Serve with grated cheese on top.

Makes 2 servings

Source: Emer